Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending August 30, 2015.
REPORTER COMMENTS BY COUNTY – Comments are based on remarks made by extension agents, farmers, commodity specialists, and other knowledgeable individuals.
NORTHERN
ROCKINGHAM (Doug Horn)
Hot, dry conditions caused silage corn to dry down quickly. Most areas are showing drought stress.
WESTERN
ROCKBRIDGE (Thomas A Stanley)
A warm and dry week allowed corn silage harvesting to progress rapidly and some second cutting hay to be made. Rain is badly needed for fall grazing and stockpiling winter pastures.
CENTRAL
AMELIA (Laura Siegle)
In contrast to previous weeks, we had a dry, sunny week this week. More silage harvest is underway for some producers and many have been cutting hay this week.
CAROLINE (Mike Broaddus)
With having no rains in the past 3 weeks the growing crops (pasture, hay and soybeans) are showing signs of drought stress. Corn is doing well. Hopefully will get rain from Erika.
CHESTERFIELD (Charlotte Maxwell)
Very dry the past 2 weeks.
NELSON (Michael LaChance)
Some hay being baled.
EASTERN
ACCOMACK (Theresa Long)
No rainfall last week, potato harvest complete, corn harvest beginning this week.
ESSEX (Keith Balderson)
Corn harvest pace picked up as a lack of rainfall allowed the crop to dry down well. Yields have been very good. Soybeans, pastures and hay fields started showing stress from the lack of rainfall. Insect pressure in soybeans remained relatively low, but threshold levels of corn earworms and aphids were reported.
GLOUCESTER (David Moore)
Things drying down in a hurry. Soybeans are suffering. Wind and low humidity are taking a toll. Some areas in fields are dropping leaves due to dry conditions. Soybeans have limited root system and cannot search for water. Corn harvest has begun. Yields are very good to excellent. Moisture still above 20% in most fields, but drying fast. Some spraying continues in soybeans, but very little insect activity observed. Frogeye leaf spot is pretty prevalent and requires a fungicide in many fields. Vegetable harvest and haymaking is loving the weather, but we could use a shower.
NORTHAMPTON (Ursula Deitch)
Corn harvest is in full swing. Soybeans are very dry and we could use some rain. Fall snap beans are being planted.
SOUTHERN
LUNENBURG (Lindy Tucker)
We could use a good rain this week. I think the water condition is worse than it appears, but crops are starting to show stress and pasture is not keeping up as well here lately.
SOUTHEASTERN
CHESAPEAKE CITY (Watson Lawrence Jr.)
Crops suffered this week from dry soil conditions. Seeing some diseases in soybeans and anticipate more showing up when moisture returns to the area. Corn grain harvest began in earnest this week.
PRINCE GEORGE (Scott Reiter)
Soybean scouting continued to be the main focus this week. A few fields reached threshold for corn earworms and were treated. Overall, pest activity has remained low. Some corn was harvested late in the week as dry down has been rapid with hot, dry conditions.
SURRY (Glenn Slade)
Over three weeks with little or no rain; peanuts, cotton, and soybeans are beginning to stress. Corn harvest is underway with good yields (130-180 bushels per acre).
Agricultural News: Days suitable for fieldwork were 6.8. Field activities for the week included haymaking and harvesting corn for silage and vegetables. Weather conditions continue to get drier; some crops are showing signs of stress. Temperatures were down slightly and precipitation amounts decreased this week, some parts of the State had zero precipitation. High temperatures were in the 80s and 90s, and lows were in the 50s and 60s.
